Hupac and FS partner up for three terminals in Italy
Hupac and the Italian state-owned railway company Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) are collaborating on three terminals in northern Italy. The terminals of Milano Smistamento (Milan rail yard staging area) and the Hupac terminal in Piacenza will be upgraded, while a brand new terminal will be built in Brescia.
In the Industrial Plan published in July, FS said that 160 million euros would be invested in the terminals in Brescia and Milan. More specifically, the terminal in Milan will receive 108 million euros, 67 of which will be funded by the Swiss Federal Office of Transport. According to Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore, the total investment for the three terminals will revolve around 220 million euros.
New developments for the terminal in Brescia
Concerning the one in Brescia, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Mercitalia Logistics, FS’ rail freight subsidiary, and the city. The total investment for this terminal will be 60 million euros. The facility will cover an area of 100,000 square metres. According to FS, the construction permit is expected to be unlocked by spring 2023, meaning that work should start in early 2024 and the terminal should be ready by 2026. Once completed, 11 weekly trains will travel to and from the terminal in Brescia.
The first project, for an investment of 4,5 million euros, will aim at improving mobility around the terminal area. The new terminal, which will be called La Piccola Velocità (The Small Speed), will be equipped with five rail tracks 750 metres in length each. Moreover, there will be five tracks for temporary stops, three support tracks, and three electric rail-mounted gantry cranes.
Milano and Piacenza
For the Milano Smistamento terminal, the biggest marshalling yard in Italy, the first phase of the project should be completed by 2025. The second and last phase is expected to be done by 2026. However, already in 2021, the Lombardy’s Territory Infrastructure Observatory pointed out that the project was stalling, possibly causing some delays. Once ready, the terminal will handle 22 weekly roundtrips in its schedule.
When it comes to the terminal in Piacenza, work started already in 2020. The terminal will be activated during two different phases. The first one should be ready to go in the first semester of 2024 while the second one in 2025. As for the terminal in Brescia, there will be 11 weekly roundtrips scheduled to and from this terminal once the project is completed.
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